Converting UA Miles...
 

I'm sure that this has been answered before, but ... HELP!
I've got 167,000 miles in United MP. With a strike looming, whats the best way to convert these ..The UX pulled out of here last year and I have serious long term concerns about UA's viability.
I've switched to NW, but obviously there's no relationship. Short of just taking a trip, what would be the best way to "bank" these in something that I could use with NW or somewhere else long term?

Any suggestions would be appreciated....

probably not what you had in mind, but you could transfer 160,000 miles into $800 of dining gift certificates:

http://mpdining.idine.com/informatio...ionIndex.jhtml

20k MP miles = $100 credit

only valid at iDine restaurants...

[This message has been edited by EWR-COflyer (edited 02-17-2002).]

Probably the best option is convert to BA during the Diners double BA miles promotion (if offered again this summer).

Also, you could convert UA miles to Hilton points.

really? I didn't think you could... please please please tell me how! I have orphan miles to get rid of...

I also have the opportunity to earn 10k UA miles via Radisson, and I would *looove* the opportunity to turn 'em into 20k HH points!

DO TELL!

[This message has been edited by EWR-COflyer (edited 02-17-2002).]

http://www.hilton.com/en/hhonors/rew...change_1.jhtml



[This message has been edited by dhacker (edited 02-18-2002).]

many thanks!

FYI there's a Radisson promo that expires on 2/28. (3) Radisson stays = 10k UA miles. I have (1) stay completed, but wasn't really planning on finishing it out...

I need 100k HH points for an award in May. I'm not too far off that number right now. So, basically 2 more Radisson stays in the next two-weeks (very do-able for me) can get me 10k UA miles which I can turn into 20k HH points.

Thanks!

not to bad... when all is said and done, stay at one hotel chain, get 6,666 points per stay in another chain...

EDIT: the promo actually expires 3/31/02.

[This message has been edited by EWR-COflyer (edited 02-17-2002).]

Wow, thank you!

Finally something that CO miles are actually useful for. I hope hhonors is ready for depositing alomst 600k points into my account and there aren't any upper limits.

At a 50% haircut, I agree that Diners is the best option. Of course, the Diners 2-1 BA promo (effectively making each UA mile worth one BA mile) would be the ideal scenario but there's no certainty that it will be continued (and you want NW miles anyway). Also, there is the matter of an $80 annual fee (soon to be $95) for Diners as well as the recently instituted charge of ~$1 per 2000 Diners points (1000 miles) redeemed. Offsetting that is the 12,000 miles sign-up bonus with Diners.


[This message has been edited by fallinasleep (edited 02-17-2002).]

You might also want to consider awards on UA's *A partners. I just sent my family to Germany on Varig, getting C class tickets for 100k each (compared to 90k for coach on LH).

But if UA were to go under, there's no guarantee your UA award tickets would be honored by the carrier on which your trip is booked.

When Ansett went into receivership, Ansett award tickets booked on UA metal (already booked, but for future dates) were turned away. After all, an Ansett award on UA metal is booked as an Ansett ticket (Ansett ticket #). Ansett tickets weren't any good when Ansett wasn't flying.

Luckily, Ansett award tickets booked before 9/1 are now being honored..

Point is, there are no guarantees from using UA miles on another carrier for future travel.

My best bet may be to transfer them to
Hilton because of the ability to transfer them quickly. But I'll take any input.

Thanks

Michael

Somehow I doubt UA will "go under". The government wasn't about to let that happen with TWA - in fact, honoring Aviators miles and existing tickets were key requirements for AA to get a smooth approval for the buyout. If you've got travel planned in the near-term, I'd be looking for a backup plan. But I wouldn't flush my MP account at a big loss because of the possible strike.

On the other hand, if you just hate UA and want your miles out of MP because the thought of another trip with them is unbearable, I understand. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/eek.gif Go the DC route or, if you have enough miles, book at cruise4miles.com.

I also have just over 150K left with UA, and if there were an easy way to get them out I would have. However, until the summer DIners promo I think that I am stuck with them and am going to hold out for a better day.